Heat regulator



J. w. HOUCH HEAT REGULATOR Aug. 9, 1927.

Filed Feb. 1. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet l 1,638,582 1927' J. w. HOUCH HEATREGULAT 0R Filed Feb. 1. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 .[H H ll III III IllAug.9, 1927. 1,638,582

J. W. HOUCH HEAT REGULATOR Filed Feb. 1, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 PatentedAug. 9, 1927.

ATENT- OFFICE.

' J'AY W. HOUCH, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA;

HEAT REGULATOR.

Application filed February My present invention relates to improvementsin heat regulators intended for general use, but especially adapted'foruse in connection with heating plants and, more particularly, saidinvention provides automatic means for maintaining a predetermineddegree of temperature and for automatically shifting the contacts of athermostat, at predetermined different times, from either a high to alower degree of temperature, and vice versa. The invention also providesvarious other improvements, as w11l hereinafter appear.

To the above end, generally stated, the invention consists of the noveldevices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, likecharacters.indi-- cate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the invention- Fig. 2 is a sideelevationof the same, with some parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the wall plate and parts carried thereby;Figs, 4 and 5 are views of the time-indicating scale and switch-carryinglevers;

Fig. 6 is a view of the lower casing section removed from the wall plateand looking at the parts carried thereby, from the back- F ig. 7 is'aperspective view of the temperature-indicating scale and upper endportion of the pointer;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of the p. m. lever;

, Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view of the switch-closing wheel and the dogfor operat ing the same; and

Fig. 10 is a view showing a wiring diagram.

The numeral 11 indicates a wall plate having a marginal forwardlyprojecting flange 12 that is capped by a two-part casing comprising anupper section 13 and a lower section 14, the latter of which projectsmaterially forward of the former. The wall plate 11 may be secured byscrews to a wall or other support and the casing 13-14 is detachablysecured to said wall 1, 1926. Serial 1T0. 85,175.

plate 11 .by screws, not shown, that have threaded engagement with theflange 12.

A standard thermometer 15 is secured to the front of the casing section13 and an eight day clock is mounted in an opening in the front of theindicated as an entirety with the exception of its 17, Which,'of course,revolution every hour.

1 The clock 16 may be wound by ahorizontal shaft 18, having a knurledfingerpieee that extends through one side of the casing section 14 andis connected to the winding member of said clock at the back thereof bya pair of bevel gears 19.

For setting the hands of the clock y tl1e numeral 16, mlnute hand shaftmakes one complete there is provided a vertical shaft 20, having aknurledfin erpiece, that extends upward through the ottom of the casingsection 14 and 1s connected to the minute hand shaft 17 by a pair ofbevel gears 21.

A thermostat 22, in a three-wire electric circuit 23, is provided forstarting a motor, not shown, for operating whatmay be assumed to be thedamper of a furnace, This thermostat 22 is mounted in the casing 1314which may be of any well known construction, and is in the form of aninverted U, one leg of which is secured to a post 24 on the wall plate11 by a binding casing section 14 andis screw 25 to which one of thewires 23 is attached. The other leg of the thermostat 22 extends betweena pair of spaced contacts 26 and is normally out of contact therewith.These contacts 26 are in the form of a pair of needle-pointed screwsthat have threaded engagementwith insulated nut blocks 27 secured to theends of a horizontal armature 28. This armature 28 is intermediatelysecured to an indicator in the form of an upright pointer 29 pivoted atits lower end just below said armature, as indicated at 30, for swingingmovement parallel to the face of the wall plate 11.

The upper end portion of the pointer 29 worksthrough a passage 31 formedin the flange 12 and easing section 14, and its pointed upper endextends back of a segmental temperature-indicating scale 32 secured tothe wall plate 11 above the casing Se tion 14. This scale 32 isgraduated to indicate degrees of t-em erature from sixty to eighty. Asshown, he pointer 29 is set for 70 degrees, and when the temperaturedrops below or goes above this degree, the

thermostat 22 will operate to en age one of the contacts 26 and closethe circuit 23 to start the motor to either 0 en or close said damper,depcndin on which contact 26 1S engaged by said thermostat.

For automatically changing the position of the contacts 26 in respect tothe thermostat 22 at predetermined times, so that a certain de ree oftemperature wil bemaintaincd (Turin a predetermined part of thetwenty-four liours of a day, and a different degree of temperature forthe rest of the twenty-four hours will be maintained, there is provideda pair of electromagnets 33 and 34 arranged for action on opposite endsof the armature 28. When the magnet 33 1s energized, the pointer 29 willbe swung to the left to cause the right-hand contact 26 to engage thethermostat 22 and close the c1rcult 23 to cause the motor to open thedamper provided the same is not open owing to a low temperature. Whenthe magnet 34 is energized, the pointer 29 will be swung to the right tocause the left-hand contact 26 to engage the thermostat 22 andclose thecircuit 23, so as to cause the motor to close the damper, rovided thesame is not closed owing to a iigh temperature.

The magnet 33 is in a shunt circuit 35, which has interposed therein anormally open two-part spring switch 36, and the magnet 34 is in ashuntcircuit 37 in which is interposed a normally open switch 38 like theswitch 36. The numeral 39 indicates a pair of lead wires to which isconnected a transformer 39' .from which lead two of the wires 23 towhich the shunt circuits 35 and 37 are connected.

For automatically and successively closin" the switches 36 and 38 atpredetermined (li ferent times there is provided a rotatable wheel 40having in its periphery twenty-four V-shaped notches 41 that leavetherebetween wide teeth 42. This wheel 40 is journaled on a fixed headedstud 43 secured to 0. lug 44 on the casing section 14. The switch 36 issecured to and insulated from a p. m. lever 45 and the switch 38 issecured to and insulated from an a. m. lever 46. These levers 45 and 46are pivotally mounted on the stud 43, the former between the wheel 40and the lug 44, and the latter between said wheel and the head of thestud 43. Collars or hubs 47 on the stud 43 hold the levers 45 and 46laterally spaced from the wheel 40.

A pair of diametrically opposite insulated pins 48 and 49 are secured tothe wheel 40 and project from opposite sides thereof. Said pins 48 and49 are arranged to successively close the switches 36 and 38,respectively, once each twenty-four hours, by passing thereover with awi ing action and move the spring members 0? said switches into en'agement with the fixed members thereof.

The wheel 40 is given one step of movement each hour, thus making onecomplete rotation everv twenty-four hours by means of a dog 50 rigidlysecured to the hub of the To set the levers 45 and 46 for ad'ustablyholding the switches 36 and 38 so t at they may be successively closedand 49 on the wheel 40 at pre etermined different times there is locatedwithin an open-, ing on the top of the casing section 14 a segmentalscale 53 spaced from the edges of said opening to leave frontand rearslots 54 through the former of which the p. m. lever 45 projects andthrough the latter of which the a. m. lever 46 projects. This scale 53is graduated by forming in the edges thereof longitudinally spacedopposite V- shaped notches 55. The levers 45 and 46 have V-shaped lugs56 adapted to enter the notches by lateral springin movements of saidlevers and releasably hold said levers where set. The scale 53 isnumbered between opposite notches 55, except the last, to readanticlockwise from 1 to 12, and said scale bar has a notation sametemperature between said last notches. The notches 55 for the a. 1n.lever 46 represent the hours from midni ht'to 12 oclock noon, and thenotches 55 or the m; lever 45 re resent the hours from 12 o clock noonto mi night. The spacing of the notches 55' is such as to permit thelevers 45 and 46 to be moved in the arc of a circle 180 de ees.

.To stop the movement o the pointer 29 by the magnets 33 and 34 andposition the same for high and low tem ratures there is provided a pairof stops 5 and 58 between which the free end of said pointer projects.These sto s 57 and 58 are in the form of inverted yo es that straddlethe scale 32 for independent longitudinal adjustment thereon and havetransverse pins 59 arranged to interlock with longitudinally spacednotches 60 in the upper edge of said scale and releasably hold saidstops where set. It will be noted that the stop 57 is set to osition thepointer 29 at 60 degrees and that the stop 58 is set to position saidpointer at degrees.

The operation of the above described invention may be briefly describedas follows:

It will be noted that the a. m...lever 46 is positioned to hold theswitch 38 in a position to be closed at 5 oclock a. m. and that the pins48 the m. lever is positioned to hold the switch 36 to be closed at 10oclock p. In. As

the lovers 45 and 46 extend out-ward of the casing section 14 the samemay be easily adjusted without opening the casing.

As previously stated, the stop 57 is positioned tostop the pointer 29 at60 degrees and that the stop 58 is positioned to stop said ointer at 70degrees.

After the levers 45 and 46 are once set for predetermined high and lowtemperatures the apparatus is entirely automatic except for the windingof the clock 16 when necessary. The thermostat 22 will automaticallyoperate to maintain a temperature at which the pointer 29 is set- Thedog is in continuous rotation under the action of the minute hand shaft17 and during each rotation, or in other words once each hour, the sameenters one of the notches 41 and gives the wheel 40 a step of movement.As

the pins 48 and 49 pass the switches 36 and 38, respectively, saidswitches are closed for a relatively short period of time for energizingthe respective magnets 33 and 34.

When the pin 48 passes over the switch 36 at 10 p. m. and closes thesame, the'shunt circuit 35 will be completed and energized magnet 33will draw the respective end of the armature 28 down until themovementof the pointer 29 is automatically positioned by the stop 59 at 60degrees. This movement of the pointer 29 will bring the righthandcontact 26 into engagement with the thermostat 22 and thereby completethe circuit 23 and start the motor to close the damper provided the sameis open. The damper will remain closed unless the temperature dropsbelow 60 degrees and in which case the thermostat 22 will operate tocause the damper to be opened.

At 5 a. m. the pin 49 will pass over the switch 38 and close the same tocomplete the shunt circuit. 37 and the energizedmagnet 84 will draw therespective end of the armature 28 down until the movement of the pointer29 is automatically positioned by the stop 58 at degrees. This movementof the pointer 29 will bring the left-hand contact 26 into engagementwith the thermostat 22 to complete the circuit 23 and if the damper isclosed the motor will operate to open the same.

If it is desirable to keep a high temperature temporarily for a longertime than that at which the p. m. lever 45 is set, said lever may bemanually set back one or more hours and then returned to its originalposition, or by setting both levers 45 and 46in the notches designatedas same temperature the same temperature will be main: tained throughoutthe twenty-four hours unless levers 45 and 46 are shifted to otherpositions.

From the above description it is evident the thermostat forpredetermined temperatures including an oscillatory indicator, a pair ofadjustable stops in the path of move ment of the indicator for settingthe device i'ori different temperatures, normally inactive automaticmeans for moving said device from one position to another at apredetermined time and then returning the same at a predetermined time,and clockactuated mechanism including an intermittently moved member forintermittently rendering said automaticmeans active.

The structure defined in claim 1 in further combination with atemperature incordance with which the adjustable stops are set.

3. In a heat regulator, the combination with means for maintaining adesired degree of temperature during a predetermined period of time,including a pair of spaced contacts and a thermally influenced elementextending between said contacts and normally out of contact therewith,of a setting device for predetermined difi'erent temperatures by whichsaid contacts are carried, reversely operated electromagnetic meansincluding two open switches for moving said device from one position toanother at a predetermined time and then returning the same at apredetermined time, and clockactuated mechanism including anintermittently moved wheel having means for intermittently closing theswitches.

-4. The structure defined in claim 3 in further combination with a pairof levers mounted to move about the axis of the wheel, said switchesbeing carried by the levers for independent circumferential adjustmentin respect to the wheel to vary the time at which they are closed.

5. The structure defined in claim 3 in which said wheel is given a stepof movement each hour.

dicating scale for the indicator, and in ac- 6. The structure defined inclaim 3 in which said wheel is toothed and in which time at which theyare closed, and a timeindicating scale b which said levers are set forthe t1me at w ich the switches are to be closed.

R. The structure defined. in claim 8, in further combination with a pairof levers mounted to move about the axis of the wheel, said switchesbeing carried by the levers fer independent circumferential adjustment1n respect to the wheelto vary the t me at which they are closed, atime-indicating scale by which said levers are set for the time at whichthe switches are to be closed, and means for releasably holding thelevers where set in respect to .the time-indicating scale.

9. In a heat regulator, the combination with a thermostat, of a devicefor setting the thermostat for predetermined temperatures, reverselyoperated electromagnetic means including two open switches for movingsaid device from one pos1t1on to another at a predetermined time andthen returning the same at'a predetermined time, each of said switchesbeing mounted for continuous ad'ustment by infinitesimal rogression, anclock-actuated mechanism or closing the switches.

10. In a heat regulator, the combination with a thermostat having anoscillatory indicator, of a device for setting the thermostat forpredetermined temperatures, reversely operated electromagnetic meansincluding two open switches for moving said device from one position toanother at a predetermined time and then returning the same at apredetermined time, clock-actuated mechanism for closing said switches,and adjustable stops in the path of movement of the indicator forpositioning the same for different temperatures.

v 11. In a heat re lator, the combination with a thermostat aving anoscillatory indicator and a 00-0 eratin temperature indicating scale,sai scale aving adjustable stops for positioning the indicator indifferent positions in res ect of said scale, of a device for setting te thermostat for predetermined temperatures, reversely operatedelectromagnetic means including two open switches or moving said devicefrom one position to another at a predetermined time and then returningthe same at a predetermined time, and clock-actuated mechanismforclosing said switches.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JAY W. HOUCFL

